In 2014, a crewman aboard a Japanese cargo ship videotaped the vessel illegally dumping oily waste into the ocean and later turned the tape over to the U.S. Coast Guard. One year later, the resulting $1.8 million penalty for...more

Action Item: Courts must consider whether an insurance policy incorporates other documents and the extent thereof in evaluating the existence of additional insured coverage. Parties should evaluate the policy and underlying...more

The U. S. Fifth Circuit recently held that an injured seaman was precluded from recovering maintenance and cure where he intentionally provided false information during a pre-employment physical conducted by a previous...more

Since the expiration of a labor contract in July 2014, negotiations for a new contract have dragged on between management representatives of the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA)—a multi-employer bargaining association...more

On February 9, the Court of Justice of the European Union made public its January 28, 2015 order rejecting the appeal of Mr. Romano Pisciotti, an Italian national who was extradited from Germany to the United States in April...more

Action Item: Violators of Emission Control Area requirements face hefty penalties under the Environmental Protection Agency’s new penalty policy. Owners and operators of vessels operating in the North American and U.S....more

Action Item: On January 16, 2015, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control and the U.S. Department of Commerce amended the Cuban Assets Control Regulations and the Export Administration...more

In this issue:
- A Sea Change Sweeps over Congress: A Look Back and a Look Ahead
- Shipping & International Trade Law (Second Edition 2015)
- Congress Passes Coast Guard Bill in Waning Hours of 113th...more

Action Item: Owners, operators, and other interested parties related to the operation of marine terminals should review and comment on a Coast Guard Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“NPRM”) addressing new requirements to...more

Action Item: New policy guidance in the form of “Frequently Asked Questions” was published by the Commerce Department on December 20, 2014, with regard to crude oil export controls. Stakeholders interested in crude oil...more

Domestic fish harvesters and seafood producers could face new federal mandates under a seafood traceability program being developed by the Obama Administration. Last month, the Administration announced the Recommendations of...more

In McBride v. Estis Well Service, LLC, the federal 5th Circuit Court of Appeals determined that punitive damages are not available to seamen under the Jones Act or under general maritime law. In those cases, recovery is...more

The maritime community is sitting on the precipice of disaster. While regarded as one of the oldest and most well respected industries on the planet, the maritime community as a whole has failed to protect itself against the...more

A wave of FLSA collective (class) actions have been filed against scores of marine shipping and towing companies in the Gulf States for violation of the FLSA. Specifically, these suits claim that the commonly used “day-rate”...more

The end of 2014 has seen major developments in U.S. foreign relations and sanctions policy with broad implications for the maritime industry. On December 17, President Obama announced a paradigm shift in relations with Cuba,...more

The use of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as a transportation fuel for ships, barges, and ferries has surged in recent months. This surge is due, in large part, to the boon in the production of natural gas in the U.S.; new low...more

On December 11, 2014, the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) released new guidance related to existing U.S. sanctions against Russian entities designated on the Sectoral Sanctions...more

On December 3, 2014, the Fifth Circuit, in In re: RLB Contracting, Inc., No. 14–40326 (5th Cir. Dec. 3, 2014), concluded that an ongoing exchange of correspondence between counsel for a dredge involved in a maritime casualty...more

Action Item: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) issued a Notice to the Area Port of New Orleans Trade Community on November 12, 2014, announcing electronic online reporting of possible Jones Act violations. Owners and...more